FLASH: Anti-Grazing Law In Benue Violates Nigerian Constitution, Senator Adamu Laments

Former governor of Nasarawa State and current Senator, Abdullahi Adamu has lamented the anti grazing law enacted by the Benue State government which he said conflicts with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Senator, who addressed selected news media today, Wednesday in Abuja, stressed: “the anti-grazing law in Benue State as it stands, challenges the constitutional right of the Nigerian herdsmen, whether they are Fulani or not, to legitimately engage in lawful economic activities.”
He argued that animal husbandry is a major part of the nation’s agriculture and that the law as it stands, seeks to ban Fulani herdsmen from Benue State.
“It is patently against our constitution which guarantees all citizens the freedom of movement, the freedom of settlement in arears of their choice and the freedom to engage in lawful economic and political activities.”
Senator Adamu, who cautioned politicians from other states of the federation not to cry more than the bereaved said that the anti grazing law is not in the best interest of Benue state or even the middle belt zone.
He described the reactions of the governors of those states to the herdsmen killings in Benue state as residual hatred for anything North or Northerner, saying: “we must not allow them to use our collective losses from the herdsmen’s attacks to goad us into making our geo-political zone and our people unsafe.”
The former governor, who agreed to the fact that the security architecture needed to be overhauled to serve the needs of Nigerians better, aligned himself with the decision by the Senate to convene a special meeting on national security to critically re-examine the failure of the security system “and why.”
Senator Adamu agreed also that at this time when the emotions are high as a result of provocative killings in Benue, leaders could be irrational in their actions and utterances, but cautioned against inflaming the crisis beyond control.
“Whatever may have happened and may happen, we must individually and collectively face the challenges of taking urgent steps to lower the high temperature of tension and anger so that we can begin the critical challenge of taking meaningful steps towards addressing and solving the problems that our geo-political zones and the national in general face.”
He recalled that as a two-term governor of Nasarawa state, he worked amicably and closely with his Benue State counterpart, now Senator George Akume to defend and promote their common interests and strengthen the bond of unity between their peoples. [myad]